It has been proposed to provide cartridge loads or packages for a revolver in which, in one case, a ring is formed with a plurality of pockets each of which is adapted to receive a cartridge casing so that the bullets of the respective rounds project in one direction and can be inserted into the chamber of the revolver drum.
This ring can be preloaded with the cartridges so that, upon the complete firing of the cartridges of the revolver, the spent cartridges can be removed as a unit and a fresh package of cartridges inserted as a unit. This affords rapid loading of the weapon in this case, the ring remains in place around the cartridges and generally speaking, the drum of this revolver or the ejector mechanism or other elements of the weapon must be accommodated to the use of this loading ring.
It has also been proposed (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,213,559) to provide the loading package so that the loading device can be stripped from the cartridges as soon as they have been partially inserted into the drum of the revolver.
In this unit, the loading device is constituted as a strip or belt having pockets corresponding in number to the rounds, which may be received in the cylinder of the revolver, with a spacing between them corresponding to the spacing between these rounds.
For introduction of the rounds into the revolver cylinder, the belt or strip can be rolled so that the bullet ends of the cartridges can be inserted into the respective bores of the cylinder and the strip or belt is then drawn away to release the cartridges in succession so that the latter can be pressed further into the respective bores.
When the belt is rolled up, the pocket-defining webs can bear one upon another to ensure the cylindrical pattern of the package which is retained by providing one end of the belt with a tab and the other end of the belt with a loop engageable by the tab to retain the package in place. Thus, when reloading of the revolver is necessary, the projecting portions of the cartridges of the package are inserted into the respective cylinder bores and the cylinder swung out of its normal position in the revolver, the tab is tugged to release it, and the belt is pulled away in the manner previously described, thereby inducing the cylinder to rotate as each pocket releases the respective cartridge. Each released cartridge can be pressed into place or can fall into place.
The strip or belt can be reloaded at a later time.
The pockets generally engage the body of the cartridge casing, which is cylindrical, between the flange or rim and the bullet over a length which is at least sufficient to ensure parallelity of the cartridges in the loading package.
Loading packages of this latter type have various disadvantages which have been discovered with experience utilizing them. For example, the hook-and-eye closure of the package may be released in normal handling operations, causing the package to open and constituting a manipulation problem.
Frequently the hook-and-eye closure jams so that the belt or strip cannot readily be drawn off the cartridges.
In order to ensure an effective anchoring of the cartridges, it has been found necessary with the belt-type device described above to form the ends of the webs or partitions between the pockets with beads or thickened portions. These have a tendency to lock between the cartridges and must be drawn out with considerable force. There is a tendency, therefore, for the partitions to tear or the pockets to deform and become unusable even after a few reloading cycles.
Of course, if the partition tears in use, at least one of the two cartridges held thereby must be removed by hand and the piece of the partition dislodged before the cylinder can be swung back into its firing position.
Thus, the advantages of high speed loading with packages of cartridges can be completely defeated and a danger created to an officer who must have his revolver in firing readiness in an emergency situation.
Other loading packages with similar disadvantages are described in British Pat. No. 398,690, Austrian Pat. No. 348,899, German Pat. No. 2,259,610, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 913,393; 1,969,817; and 1,971,526.